BUSY BELLATOR WEEKEND STARTS IN THACKERVILLE

This is one of those weekends in combat sports when there’s lots to watch. There’s LFA 55, BELLATOR 210 and 211, TUF 28 finale, UFC FIGHT NIGHT 142, and the most important heavyweight boxing match in roughly 40 years. Bellator’s weekend started in Oklahoma where plenty of blood was spilled.

JOHN SALTER taking a tough fight on short notice against CHIDI NJOKUANI got popped early. The red hot middleweight wrestling standout eventually got the fight on the ground. Then it was just a matter of time. With 32 seconds left in the opening round Chidi tapped to a RNC. That finish gave him the most by any middleweight with 5. Not to be outdone, DAVID RICKELS set a record as well. He fought in his 21st fight for the company. They needed to go to the scorecards in his back and forth war with GUILHERME BOMBA. As the final horn sounded Rickels was on the bottom still slugging it out. He wasn’t on the bottom of the decision; winning unanimously. The rest of the main card finished with unanimous decisions as well. KRISTINA WILLIAMS over BRUNA ELLEN; and JUAN ARCHULETA absolutely pieced apart JEREMY SPOON to improve to 21-1.

COSTELLO VAN STEENIS kept up a hard pace for 15 minutes with CHRIS HONEYCUTT and somehow managed to win a split decision. JORDAN YOUNG continued to prove how dangerous he is going to 10-0. His takedown defense was sharp as he picked his spots against ANTHONY RUIZ; eventually locking in a RNC. GOITI YAMAUCHI and DANIEL WEICHEL easily could have been on the main card. And their rock em sock em fight proved just that. With Goiti getting a razor thin split decision win. JOE SHILLING picked up his 1st MMA win since 2014. And boy it was like a cloud burst. He absolutely demolished and busted the previously unbeaten WILL MORRIS wide open. The kickboxing standout kept looking for a submission finish. Somehow Will survived the 1st round. His corner though looking at him between rounds 1 and 2 did the right thing and called the fight off despite Morris arguing against it. DANIEL CORMIER teammate; SHAWN BUNCH took on JOE WARREN who was making his 20th Bellator appearance. The second the bell rang Shawn decided to abandon his wrestling in favor of a firefight. He threw bombs rocking Joe. As he was piecing Warren apart along the fence Joe verbally tapped when he suffered what appeared to be a serious collarbone injury. MIKE SHIPMAN notched his 13th straight win; getting SCOTT FUTRELL to tap to a D’Arce choke. Despite NOAD LAHAT missing weight; he got a unanimous decision win over BRIAN MOORE who started the fight on fire.

Bellator’s wild weekend finishes tomorrow in GENOA ITALY; as SCOTT COKER tries to make a play to have a card at the Roman Coliseum one day.